MOSCOW/NEW DELHI: Discounts for Russian flagship Urals crude oil for delivery to Indian ports in July hit their narrowest levels since 2022 as spot supplies have tightened, four traders involved in the market said on Friday. Narrowing discounts and tight spot supplies are nudging Indian refiners to scout for alternatives through buying tenders. Spot discounts for Urals crude narrowed to $2.25 per barrel on average for cargoes arriving in India in July, from $2.70 to $3.10 per barrel to dated Brent on delivery ex-ship (DES) basis in the previous month,…
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Trump says ‘very disappointed’ by Musk criticism
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump said Thursday he was “very disappointed” by Elon Musk’s criticism of his policy mega-bill, adding he didn’t know if his friendship with his billionaire former advisor would survive. In an extraordinary rant in the Oval Office as visiting German Chancellor Friedrich Merz sat mutely beside him, Trump unloaded on SpaceX and Tesla boss Musk in his first comments on the issue. “Look, Elon and I had a great relationship. I don’t know if we will anymore. I was surprised,” Trump told reporters in the Oval…
Read MoreRs415 billion in losses raise alarms over tobacco enforcement
While regulators tighten the noose around Pakistan’s formal tobacco sector, the real threat is expanding in plain sight. Illicit cigarette brands—untaxed, unregulated, and widely available—have captured more than half the market. They pay nothing, follow no rules, and yet continue to grow. The law is chasing what is visible, not what is dangerous. The formal industry, despite contributing nearly Rs270 billion in taxes each year, now controls only 46 percent of the market. The remaining share belongs to illegal operators selling cigarettes at a fraction of legal prices. This thriving…
Read MoreBilawal Bhutto warns of escalating water disputes with India, calls for diplomatic engagement
Former foreign minister Bilawal Bhutto Zardari, leading Pakistan’s high-level diplomatic delegation, issued a stern warning regarding India’s water policies, stating they could force future generations into conflict. Speaking at the Middle East Institute in Thursday, he emphasized that any future war might not allow time for international mediation, referencing former U.S. President Donald Trump’s past interventions. Bhutto Zardari criticised India’s actions concerning the Indus Waters Treaty, accusing New Delhi of infringing upon the water rights of Pakistan’s 240 million citizens. He highlighted that such provocations are pushing the region toward…
Read MoreReport analyses impact of solar imports on Pakistan’s power sector
KARACHI: Renewables First, a think tank on energy and environment, has launched a new report titled ‘Leader of One or Leader of None – China’s Choice for Clean over Coal in Pakistan’, which examines China’s growing paradox in the Global South: acting as both a clean energy powerhouse and a financier of fossil fuels, with Pakistan serving as a pivotal case study. America’s withdrawal from the Paris Agreement threw international climate action into uncertainty, raising questions over who, if anyone, might assume global leadership in the fight against climate change.…
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